Iranian Culture

## In this talk, hear how contemporary artists and storytellers, Arsalan Akhavan and Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh, are reconceptualising the Iranian epic *Shahnameh* for contemporary audiences. *Shahnameh*, or *The Book of King*s, is an epic poem recounting the history of ancient Persia, completed at the start of the 11th century by one of the greatest Persian poets of all time, Ferdowsi. Considered the national epic of Iran and one of the most important Persian texts, *Shahnameh* is made up of more than 50,000 beautifully composed couplets recounting the heroes, quests and mythical creatures central to Persian culture. First, join Hollywood producer and cultural storyteller Arsalan Akhavan on a personal journey of discovering the Persian *Book of Kings* and reimagining its epic stories for a new generation through digital media. Next, multi-award-winning writer, artist and scholar Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh will talk about her project *The Book of Queens*, a song cycle in collaboration with composer Emily Hazrati about the queens, women and magical creatures found in *The Book of Kings*, and how she has, from Ferdowsi's ink well, re-written the characters and stories of this historical epic poem through a contemporary feminist lens. The talk will conclude with a Q&A with Arsalan and Nazli. Speakers **Arsalan Akhavan** After learning of his family’s unique connection to a masterpiece edition of the *Shahnameh*, Arsalan’s life changed forever. He traded sunny California for rainy Britain to launch Rug Entertainment, a multimedia company dedicated to making Persian stories both accessible and engaging for English-speaking audiences. Arsalan’s roots in entertainment trace back to the 1950s, when his grandfather, Mostafa Akhavan, founded Cinema Moulin Rouge, Iran’s first major film studio bridging Hollywood, Cannes, and Tehran. Arslan’s recent projects include *Healing History*, an immersive art history exhibition; *The Good Iranian*, a one-man show performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (dir. Sepy Baghaei); *Shahnameh Quest*, a storytelling podcast; and *Billion Dollar Masterpiece*, a documentary short about the *Shahnameh* of Shah Tahmasb. He previously served as Director of Scripted TV Development at Lesli Linka Glatter’s Backyard Pictures with Universal Television and worked in the TV Packaging department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Arsalan has also spoken on the *Shahnameh* at Cambridge University and the House of Lords. He holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. For more information about Arsalan, please visit the [Rug Entertainment website](https://www.rugentertainment.com/about). **Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh** Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh BSc. Hons, MLitt, MA, SFHEA is a multi-award-winning international leader and collaborator working across artistic disciplines and contexts in opera, theatre, dance, visual arts, film and performance poetry. Her credits include Royal Ballet and Opera, Welsh National Opera, Birmingham Opera, Britten Pears and Aldeburgh Festival, Oxford Song, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Atmosphere Festival, Tete a Tete, National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse Theatre, Bush Theatre and City Theater Tehran. At the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, she is Professor of Dramatic Writing on the MA in Opera Making & Writing, and she is the inaugural practice-based Post Graduate Researcher in Libretto. She is the inaugural Associate Artist at the Oxford School of Drama and is an External Examiner for the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her work as a coach, mentor and facilitator spans Clore Leadership, IETM and Edinburgh Performing Arts Development. For the International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA), based in New York, of which she is an Arts Council England Grad Fellow, she serves as a member of the Governance Committee. Her ever-evolving portfolio of new work and reinterpretations of existing work is infused by her country of birth, Iran, and is interwoven by the cultures she reconnects with locally across the UK and internationally across continents. For more information about Nazli, you can check out you can check out her [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nomadicnazli/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Nazli_Tabatabai) profiles. This is a free event but you need to reserve a spot. Reservation details: [https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/shahnameh-reunited](https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/shahnameh-reunited) Are you interested in reading fiction and non-fiction in French Spanish, and English? [www.meetup.com/gaia-books](https://www.meetup.com/gaia-books) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -Instagram: @persian_culture_ -Persian Culture Whatsapp group: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2)

## This talk will explore the V&A’s rich and varied collection of objects from Iran—a collection which spans thousands of years in many different media and styles. This is a free talk but you need a reservation. [The V&A](https://www.vam.ac.uk/), the UK’s foremost museum of art and design, has been collecting art from Iran since the museum’s very beginnings in the 1850s. Dr Fuchsia Hart, the museum’s Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collections, will introduce us to the Jameel Gallery for the Islamic Middle East, where the museum’s most significant objects from Iran can be seen on display. Highlights include the remarkable 10-metre-long Ardabil Carpet which was woven c.1539, one of the world's oldest dated, largest, and most historically significant Persian carpets, most likely as a royal commission, and mesmerising lustre-glazed tiles from the 14th century, representing the height of ceramic production in Iran. The collection is still growing today, and now includes important modern and contemporary pieces from Iran, such as the work of contemporary printmakers, which will also be presented in the talk. **Speaker** Fuchsia has been the Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collections at the V&A since 2022. She holds a PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford. Her thesis explored the shrine patronage of Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar (r.1797-1834) in Iran and Iraq. Currently, her other research and curatorial projects explore painting during the reign of Fath 'Ali Shah, embroidery traditions in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, and the collecting of lustre-glazed tiles from Iran in the UK. Booking details: [https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/arts-of-iran-va](https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/arts-of-iran-va) Are you interested in reading fiction and non-fiction in French and Spanish, and English? [www.meetup.com/gaia-books](https://www.meetup.com/gaia-books) [www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -Instagram: @persian_culture_ -Persian Culture Whatsapp group: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2)

Tickets can be found on [Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cross-cultural-female-identity-mapping-tickets-1983768392664?aff=oddtdtcreator) \| [Luma](https://luma.com/8uoza5h9) Explore the roles you've carried and the identity you're redefifing at this curated London identity mapping afternoon. **Our Identity Mapping gathering is a curated experience for females navigating multiple roles, cultures, and chapters of life.** * **In different environments, who did you have to become?** * **Where did you learn to be impressive, and where did you learn to be quiet?** * **What part of your story do you edit when introducing yourself?** **Hosted by Define Culture in London, this intimate afternoon blends structured identity mapping with thoughtful conversation and afternoon tea in a refined setting.** **Through a guided identity journey, participants explore the layers of identity they’ve adapted, earned, and performed and consider what they may now be ready to redefine.** **For those balancing ambition, responsibility, and evolving identity, this is a rare space to pause and look honestly at the path that shaped you.** **Understand your layers. Reclaim your voice. Redefine what’s next.** **If any of these questions stayed with you, you may want to be in the room.** Guests will be welcomed with curated afternoon tea catering, including nibbles, tea, and drinks served throughout the gathering. Each attendee will also receive a thoughtfully prepared goodie bag, featuring selected gifts. Aligned partner products from: [Camelēr Spice Co.](https://camelerspiceco.com/) , [New Way Vegan](https://www.newwayvegan.co.uk/) , [L.A Brewery](https://labrewery.co.uk/) , [Mixala Chai](https://www.mixala-chai.com/) , [S j Stationery](https://sjsstationery.com/) , [Pashmisy Italian Silk](https://pashmisy.com/) , [Zaira Jewels](https://www.zairajewels.com/) Tickets can be found on [Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cross-cultural-female-identity-mapping-tickets-1983768392664?aff=oddtdtcreator) \| [Luma](https://luma.com/8uoza5h9)

A regular meetup for those committed to practising and improving their Arabic. It is designed for those who know the very basics and want a structured opportunity to practise reading, listening, speaking, and building confidence. If you're still learning the very basics but want some motivation to keep going, you're very welcome to join. Note: This is a practice group facilitated by a native speaker - not a formal teacher or taught class, and not a Quran teaching session. 📚 SESSION FORMAT: ⏱️ 30 mins Intro & Social: We'll go around and introduce ourselves in Arabic. Feel free to prepare 2-3 sentences beforehand if you don't like being put on the spot! 🗣️ 60 mins Structured Practice: A focused session practising together with guidance : ◾ Taking turns reading passages aloud ◾ Listening to excerpts from an audiobook ◾ Working together to translate and understand the text 💬 Continued Socialising: Feel free to stick around afterwards for more informal chat and connection. ✊ Note: Active Muslims is equally about focusing on the actual activity, in this case, it is a practice session requiring mental engagement and active participation (and not just a social), therefore it is advised to approach and attend these events with that mindset, intention and purpose. 📍 LOCATION: Barbican ⌚ MEET: By the cafe G Level (Benugo) ⏱️ TIME: Meet from **11:00am** for intros and socialising. The practice session starts promptly at **11:30am** insha'Allah. 🎒 What to bring: 📚 Any Arabic texts you would like to read 🎧 Headphones (optional, if you prefer listening privately) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ If you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP to free up your spot for someone on the waiting list. ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ 🌐 **[@Active.Muslims](https://www.instagram.com/active.muslims)** *(Follow for latest events updates)*

🌳 Join us for a beautiful walk in one of London's most popular romantic green spaces, Hampstead Heath ... ✊ *Note: Active Muslims is equally about focusing on the actual activity, in this case, it is a paced walk (and not a stroll), therefore it is advised to approach and attend these events with that mindset, intention and [purpose](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBhPWpdIMKq/?igsh=MWVjdnZrdGZwd3dmYw%3D%3D).* 📍 Meet: Outside **Hampstead Underground Station** (Northern line). ⌚ Meet from: 1:30pm, we start our walk at **1:45pm** sharp insha'Allah *(Magrib is 6:06pm)* 🟢 **WALK:** 📏 10km (6.2miles) 💓 Av. Pace: 5km 🏔️ Elev. Gain: 190m 🚥 [View Walking/Hiking Levels Here](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPRjEOPjW8B/) 🔄 Starts/Ends: **Hampstead Underground Station** (Northern Line) *- **not** to be confused with Hampstead Heath Overground Station.* 🚻 Toilets are available in the park. 🧎 Prayer: We can take a break for prayer in the park if time is short. 🎒 What to bring: appropriate clothing/shoes. 🗂️ "No shows" for previous events may be moved to the waitlist to prioritise reliable attendees / new joiners - ***when there is a waiting list, priority is given by attendance records / new joiners.*** 📊 [[why it matters](https://tinyurl.com/28sh83cn)] ⛑️ *Disclaimer: You are solely responsible for your own safety on these events and are also responsible for your belonging at all times.* 🌐 **[@Active.Muslims](https://www.instagram.com/active.muslims)** *(Follow for latest events updates)* 🚦 **[Walk/Hike Levels:](https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BBxV4zomeZ)** 🟢 Easy 🟡 Average 🟠 Moderate 🔴 Challenging ⚫ Very Challenging ``` 🌳 One of London's most popular romantic green spaces. A popular place for authors and poets... Alexander Pope, John Arbuthnot, Richard Steele, and later John Keats, Percy Shelley and Leigh Hunt, were frequent visitors.. The Heath is a great semi-natural park, saved from urbanisation in the nineteenth century. It has woods, ponds, walks and fine views over London. Two of the ponds are used for outdoor swimming. On the edge of Hampstead Heath surrounded by tranquil landscaped gardens, you have Kenwood House, one of London's hidden gems (Kentwood house was also the backdrop in the movie Notting Hill). ```

**Please note~ RSVP will open one week before each event. This is to avoid no shows. If you are unable to attend please mark yourself as ‘not going’ so someone else can attend in your place. Thank you. ** It's a board games club with a twist! We have a variety of games to play as well as the usual titles and favourites like Secret Hitler, Exploding Kittens and Uno so come on down if this sounds like fun to you! The games will be easy to understand as well, so don't worry about your level of board game experience! And remember to BYOBG (bring your own board games) if you have any that you would like to share :) We will meet inside TCR Bar for around 1pm. We will be seated in the boths at the back of the bar. Food and drinks are available from the bar. It would really help the venue if you could make a small purchase from the bar. Thank you.

**Join us on a visit to the [Samurai Exhibition at the British Museum](https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samurai) in London.** Discover the reality behind a millennium of myth at this exhibition on the legendary Japanese warriors, from the battlefields of medieval Japan to the global pop culture of today. **MEET DETAILS:** **2:30 pm: MEET IN COURT CAFES @ the British Museum** Join us for a coffee in the Court Cafés, which are located on the ground floor of the Museum's Great Court. **3:00 pm \~ ENTER THE EXHIBITION** **4:30 pm \~ Late: PUB SOCIAL** We'll head to Penderel’s Oak pub for a social chit chat over drinks. Address: 283–288 High Holborn, Holborn, Camden, WC1V 7HP **TICKETS:** **Book your ticket** **[here](https://ticketing.britishmuseum.org/samurai/21154)**[ ](https://ticketing.britishmuseum.org/samurai/21154)and select the 3:00 pm time slot (or around that time). Tickets are £25 or 50% off for Art Pass holders. [https://www.artfund.org/national-art-pass](https://www.artfund.org/national-art-pass) **GETTING THERE:** **Address:** British Museum, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG **Tube:** The four tube stations closest to the Museum are: * Tottenham Court Road: 5-minute walk * Holborn: 7-minute walk * Russell Square: 7-minute walk * Goodge Street: 8-minute walk **Bus:** The following bus routes pass within walking distance of the Museum. * New Oxford Street: 1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242 * Tottenham Court Road (northbound) / Gower Street (southbound): 14, 24, 29, 73, 134, 390 * Southampton Row: 59, 68, X68, 91, 168, 188 **EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:** **If you are on the 'Going' list only,** please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. **The link will be published a few days before the event.** Please let a host know if your WhatsApp name is different from your Meetup name, otherwise we'll assume you're a spammer! **If you are on the waitlist**, please join the WhatsApp group ONLY if/once space frees up and you are moved to the 'going' list. *Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.* **GROUP RULES, PLEASE NOTE:** LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. We limit event numbers as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. **If you can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible.** We remove members from the LoMAZ Meetup group who: * RSVP as ‘Going' but then do not show up (without changing their RSVP) three times in a row. * RSVP as ‘Going' but then change their RSVP to 'No' five times in a row. * Turn up at an event without being on the 'Going' list (i.e. members who have not signed up or are on the waitlist). **Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.** Image credit: Eric Pouhier, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Ciao a tutt\*! Let's meet Monday at 6.30pm at the Upper Arlington Library (**Tremont** Branch) in **Meeting Room A** to speak in Italian for 1 hour. Keeping Monday for consistency but we can discuss if there are better days/times/locations!

Meeting Room 2b, Main Library Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. We desirere to cultivate a space where all questions are welcome and all members are treated with compassion and respect. All backgrounds are welcome.

MCKS PRANIC HEALING® Level I In PRANIC HEALING® Level 1, you learn the basics of working with your energy aura, including learning to "scan," or feel the energy, to "sweep," or clean away congested energy, and to "energize," or supplement areas in your aura that have a pranic deficiency. PRANIC HEALING® has been taught to doctors, nurses, massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, shiatsu practitioners, and many others in the healing field. It has allowed them to heal confidently and consistently in the shortest learning time possible. These professionals find PRANIC HEALING® very effective and easy to apply. Other topics covered in PRANIC HEALING® Level 1: Energetic anatomy: You will learn to work with the network of chakras, meridians and auras to accelerate the healing processes of your body. Preventive healing: You will learn to remove the negative energetic patterns of a disease to prevent it from fully manifesting as a physical ailment. Self-Pranic healing: You will learn to apply these healing techniques to accelerate your own healing. Step-by-step techniques for ailments related to your: respiratory system, e.g., asthma,; circulatory system, e.g., heart ailments; gastrointestinal system, e.g., irritable bowel syndrome; musculoskeletal system, e.g., arthritis and back pain; reproductive system, e.g., menstrual problems. You'll also learn how to address common problems as migraines and sinusitis. Additionally, you'll learn to apply distant healing to loved ones who are not present in the room with you. All PRANIC HEALING® courses are "experiential," which means that you learn by actually performing the techniques and exercises in class - on yourself and those around you. During class, all the principles will be explained thoroughly and you will practice the techniques exhaustively so you will be confident in your ability to produce positive results when you finish the course. This is Day 2 of 2 Attendance at day one is required to attend day 2. The Course text book is Choa Kok Sui, "Miracles through Pranic Healing" Please bring this with you to class. PRANIC HEALING® Level 1 is a prerequisite to all other GMCKS courses. For those interested to review the class...Review fee is only $75!! LOOK AT THIS!! Review for FREE when you bring a new student to class with you.